Kyrie Irving reacts to own dunk highlight with satisfaction on Twitch stream
Dallas Mavericks star guard Kyrie Irving is best known for his elite handles and outside shooting proficiency. However, according to the eight-time All-Star, he has enough hops to throw down slam dunks whenever he chooses.
During a Twitch stream Wednesday, Irving reacted to one of his top highlights from this past season. Amid Dallas' 113-97 blowout home victory over the Utah Jazz on March 21, he converted a rare fastbreak dunk.
With the Mavericks leading 73-56 late in the third quarter, Irving's co-star Luka Doncic secured a long rebound off a missed 3-pointer. Doncic pushed the ball up the court as Irving got out ahead, gaining separation to catch a lob pass.
Irving unexpectedly soared for a strong right-handed alley-oop finish, leaving his teammates and Dallas' fanbase in apparent disbelief. Afterward, he nonchalantly got back on defense.
The one-time NBA champion typically serves as the lob-thrower in such fastbreak scenarios, with the Mavericks' big men operating as the recipients. Nevertheless, according to Irving, he wasn't surprised by his highlight finish.
"I really feel like you could throw it at any point. I'm just going to get it, like James 'Flight' [White]," Irving said. "I feel like you could throw this ball anywhere, and I'm going to get it. How else should I feel? ... Yes, I have bounce."
However, Irving added that the dunk likely ranks among the best of his career as he gears up for his 14th season.
"That was a nice dunk, bro. That was probably one of the best dunks I've caught in the league, for sure," Irving said.
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Kyrie Irving rarely attempted dunks during 2023-24 season
While Kyrie Irving appears confident in his dunking ability, he doesn't showcase his bounce very often.
Per NBA.com, Irving's alley-oop finish against Utah marked one of only seven dunk attempts during the 2023-24 season, with him converting six of seven. Moreover, he attempted and converted just one dunk during Dallas' 2024 NBA Finals run.
Nonetheless, the star point guard's highlight slam against the Jazz proved memorable, serving as an exclamation point on the Mavericks' decisive victory.
Moreover, Irving still beat his co-star in the dunking department, as Luka Doncic threw down only two slams across this past season and playoffs.
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